We think every party needs a charcuterie board on the table. With that strong beginning, you can serve all manner of tasty nibbles and host a New Year’s Eve party that everyone will talk about well into next year.

And after the revelry is done, and you are looking for a fortifying New Year’s Day brunch, look to our recipes for inspiration. Because bacon helps make everything better. Your resolutions actually begin January 2.

Duckspotting is snapping & sending in pics of dishes from your favorite restaurants, made with D’Artagnan ingredients! We supply restaurants all over the country & love to see what creative chefs are doing with our products. Keep sending them in!

Dining out & spot some fabulous dishes made with D’Artagnan ingredients? Snap a pic & email with the details to lilyh@dartagnan.com. Or post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #Duckspotting. We’ll give you & the restaurant a shout out!

This week we are offering 15% off holiday essentials – we think of them as the “little helpers” to ease you through this year’s holiday meal and make it extra-special. Things like black truffle butter, duck fat, demi-glace and bacon. Imported French chestnuts and porcini powder bring earthy flavor and umami to recipes like classic stuffing. Speaking of which, maybe your stuffing needs a little foie gras this year. These cubes of flash-frozen foie gras are quite handy at the holidays.

For further inspiration, here are a few of our favorite things to make for the Thanksgiving meal. Just click on the photo for the recipe.

You don’t have to double check – this is the D’Artagnan blog, and you did just read the word “salad.” We are known as hardcore carnivores, but we are hungry omnivores with an appreciation for a well-composed salad. As long as there is some meat on it.

And it’s summer – the perfect time to try one of our favorite salads, like this smoked duck and cherry salad that serves beautifully as a cold supper on a hot night.

While this salad is perfect for brunch, it could easily satisfy as a dinner. The winning combination of bacon and eggs works well on a bed of asparagus.

A somewhat less traditional salad, with the frisée and romaine lettuces lightly browned in butter, makes a delicious surprise. Then the salad dressing is stirred in the hot pan. Now that is a salad! Watch Marcus Samuelsson demonstrate the technique in this video with Ariane. The rich red meat of squab deserves a bed of salad like this. Did we mention the plums wrapped in bacon? Oh, yeah.

A yearlong favorite, the simplest salad of all: duck confit shredded and served atop your favorite greens. Our recipe has an Asian flair, but you can dress the salad with a basic vinaigrette as well, with equally satisfying results. Get the confit crispy under the broiler for maximum effect.

While it seems minimal, this salad of thinly-sliced cucumbers offers a refreshing crunch when paired with lamb. Is is salad? We will allow it.

Preparation

1. Add shallots to a small bowl, cover with milk and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. In another small dish, mix together flour and cornstarch. Working in batches, using a fork, dredge the shallot rings in the flour mixture, coating evenly. Put battered rings aside on a plate. In a shallow skillet, heat oil to 350 degrees.

2. Again working in batches, fry battered shallots until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Season with coarse salt and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, fold together blue cheese crumbles and cream. Season with pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

5. Let steaks stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Season both sides of each steak with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

6. Grill steaks for about 6 minutes on the first side, rotating 90 degrees at the halfway mark to create cross-hatch grill marks, if desired. Using tongs, flip each steak to the other side and grill for another 6 minutes, or until desired doneness. We suggest medium-rare, which would register 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

7. Let steaks rest for 8 -10 minutes before serving, each with a generous spoon of blue cheese sauce. Top with crispy shallots.

This limited-time offer is valid Tuesday 8/19/14 from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm EST. Offer may not be combined with any other offer or membership discount and is not valid on pending or prior purchases. Offer applies to product purchase only, before shipping and handling; standard shipping charges will be applied. Valid on select products, while supplies last. SHOP NOW!

Great for brunch, this golden bread is packed with flavorful bacon, cheese, and fresh herbs between each heavenly layer. Adapted from a sweet bread recipe by legendary baker, Flo Braker, this bread is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Serve warm with unsalted butter for an extra decadent treat.

Preparation

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine water, sugar and yeast. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Add salt and softened butter. Add 2 cups of flour and mix on medium speed until combined and a shaggy dough is formed.

Switch to the dough hook, and with the mixer on low speed, the rest of the flour a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is formed.

Knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes springy and pliable, about 8 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a round ball. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to rise into warm location until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Allow to rest for a few minutes before rolling out into a 12 inch x 20 inch rectangle.

Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the diced bacon and parmesan cheese.

Then add garlic, herbs and cheddar cheese evenly over the dough.

Cut the dough into 6 equally sized strips. A pizza wheel works well for this. Using a large offset spatula to lift the dough, stack the strips on top of each other.

Cut the stacked dough width wise into 6 rectangles. A large chef’s knife works well. Stack the squares on top of each other, cut side up in a lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Once filled, drizzle the remaining butter over the top.

Cover the loaf with a clean tea towel and allow to rise for about 45 more minutes.

Bake in a 350 degree F preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown on top and the center of the loaf registers 190 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Duckspotting is snapping & sending in pics of dishes from your favorite restaurants, made with D’Artagnan ingredients! We supply restaurants all over the country & love to see what creative chefs are doing with our products. Keep sending them in!

Duckspotting is snapping & sending in pics of dishes from your favorite restaurants, made with D’Artagnan ingredients! We supply restaurants all over the country & love to see what creative chefs are doing with our products. Keep sending them in!

This is a duck double-header, because we couldn’t choose just one. This duckspotting comes with comments from Chef Anthony Theesfeld.

Duck Wings a l’Orange from the bar menu at MoonShine Supper Club.

“Is there anything better then sitting at a bar with a beer in hand, watching the game, and eating wings? Probably not. Not wanting to go the traditional Buffalo Wing route, and inspired by the fried duck legs, I decided to try fooling around with duck wings. Cooked the same way as the duck legs, they were awesome as-is directly from the fryer. Putting a slight classical French twist on them, I tossed them with an orange sauce and immediately had something special. Accompanied with arugula and oranges tossed lightly with duck dressing, a perfect match for a beer and the game.”

Duck and Waffles on the brunch menu at MoonShine Supper Club.

“Everyone has had, or at least heard of, the wonderful soul food dish chicken and waffles. Inspired by this and wanting to put my own twist on it, I thought, ‘Why not duck?’ Buttermilk dipped, lightly floured, and then deep fried, the duck comes out decadently tender. Served with a buttermilk waffle and a sweet and savory duck gizzard gravy, I can’t think of a better way to spend a brunch.”